The development of chiropractic spinal treatment techniques was initially based on mensuration, or measurement, methodologies which could identify the intersegmental disrelationships of one vertebra to another. Such methods were difficult, time consuming and did not allow for a cumulative evaluation over time of the entire spine and pelvis. Moreover, previous mensuration methodologies had no way to identify either regional (i.e., particular spinal regions) or global (i.e., the overall spinal column) compensation that is either normal or abnormal given certain geometric relationships.
The use of electromagnetic grids, primarily for display in computer aided drafting systems, has been developed and has generally become available for some time, e.g., since the 1970's. The use of such a technique has permitted the recording and digitizing of numerous data points in an x-y coordinate system and the supplying of such data points to a data processing system for the purpose of manipulating them to perform quantitative measurements therewith and to display such measurements in various ways on a display screen.
Though quantitative spinal measurements data have become easier and faster to obtain, no comprehensive analysis of such data has yet been made available so as to permit a chiropractic practitioner, for example, to determine, classify and distinguish between normal adaptive, i.e., successful, and abnormal nonadaptive, i.e., failed, compensation of the spinal/pelvic system. Moreover, the previous use of computer systems for spinal measurement has provided some, but inadequate, tabular data for use therein without providing any further insight into a spinal injury being examined. Accordingly, the chiropractic profession has generally tended to move away from the use of such computerized spinal mensuration techniques for clinical case management consideration and has failed to provide an effective technique for obtaining additional appropriately selected data and for analyzing such data in a manner which provides suitable insight into spinal problems so as to permit a practitioner to provide appropriate treatment and to teach the effectiveness of such treatment.
Hence, the problem of effectively selecting and analyzing spinal data still remains and it would be desirable to devise a more effective technique for using such data in order to determine, classify and distinguish between normal adaptive and failed compensation using computer aided techniques for the purpose of clinical case management consideration.